Photo by Irina Werning
When she's not in the salon, Colleen stylist and resident horse girl, Shannen Kroon, can be found in the paddocks with her horses Pipi and Billy. She takes us through some valuable hair lessons we can adopt from horses’ majestic manes and their routines. Who remembers when Jennifer Aniston revealed her glossy hair secret was using a horse shampoo called 'Mane 'n Tail'? While Kroon's recommendations don't include putting specialised mane care products on your scalp, it does map out some practical and essential tips for luscious, healthy hair in the Year of the Horse.
Shannen Aroon and her horse Billy
Brush from the bottom up.
Horse hair loves to turn into dreads and twist around itself while they’re off frolicking in their paddocks, so brushing from the bottom up keeps the condition of the hair and makes it less painful.
Arm yourself with the right products.
Styling for shows isn’t as simple as a brush and braid, good quality shine spray and detangler are essential in the kit for the best mane and tail. Look for detanglers with natural oils rather than synthetics, they work wonders on coarse hair. Manes are often braided into hunter braids, which are sectioned sharply with the use of wax sticks, keeping them snatched and sleek.
Eat a nutrient-rich diet.
A nutrient-rich diet is an absolute building block for those beautiful waterfall locks you picture when you think of a luscious mane. Making sure you’re getting the right vitamins and minerals is more important than any product you could put in the hair. Protein, iron and omega-3, Vitamin A and C are essential to maintaining a healthy scalp and hair.
Photo by Irina Werning.
Protect your hair.
Horses' manes and tails are often kept in tail bags made of cotton or Lycra to ensure the hair is protected from the rain, mud and breakage in between styling. Wearing a silk bonnet to bed helps to protect your strands from unnecessary friction and damage.
Practice self-care.
Horse grooming goes beyond the aesthetics of looking pretty and serves as a crucial health assessment tool. Regular stimulation promotes circulation, distributes natural oils and allows us to keep an eye on skin health, injuries and illnesses. Knowing what’s normal for you and your hair, and when it’s time to get something checked out, could be life-saving in the long run.
